Sports

Roadrunners cross country races to build new sports legacy

By Jenna Woodman
jwoodma5@mscd.edu

The Metro cross country team members laced up their running shoes and got ready to run last weekend at the University of Nebraska Invitational.

With eight women and 10 men on the roster and accomplished runner Peter Julian as head coach, the Roadrunners have begun their first season as a varsity sport with much strength and enthusiasm.

"The season is off to a strong start and there are a lot of people with talent who just need to find it," said junior Josh Tate.

With no seniors on the team, and this only the first year, this is a very young team in the eyes of most of its opponents.

"We have only had one meet and we are a really young team," said Julian, "Our inexperience did show through."

In their first event, three of the Metro women placed in the top 25 at the time trials at Buffalo Creek in Boulder in early September. Sitges Manning finished second, but plans to red shirt for the first year. Jessica Hackbart finished 18th and Lisa Aauino finished 25th. For the men, Brice Young, in 19th, was the top finisher.

The 'Runners most recent meet was the Nebraska Invitational in Lincoln, Neb. Overall the women finished 24th. Freshman Meagan Martinez was the top finisher with a time of 23:30 for the 6K course.

The men finished 25th and Todd Tolentono was the top finisher for the men, with a time of 27:18, making him 73rd.

As for the rest of the season, Julian said he feels the young team still has something to learn.

"They need a few years to develop and to gain more experience and talent and to not get frustrated," said Julian.

Julian, feeling optimistic, said starting the season from scratch can be hard, but overall, it has its perks.

"There is not any of the junior/senior leadership to count on, it has not yet been established. You do have the individuals who step up and take the reigns. That gives the others something to look up to. It is more on the coach to try and show the team how things are done," Julian said, "There are the advantages, such as being able to start our own traditions and not having to worry about living up to old ones."

The team is faced with the challenge of being surrounded by some of the nation's best cross country talent, all of which is in the Rocky Mountain region.

"I think that starting from scratch was a good thing," Tate said. "We can start traditions and we have formed a bond, too."

The women's next meet is Sept. 24th at the Colorado College Invite in Colorado Springs.